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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24043732">the mingki way</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/illwoosion/pseuds/illwoosion'>illwoosion</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>ATEEZ (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>3am ice cream dates, 4am drabbles, Fluff, M/M, basically they are in love, inspired by mingi calling his fashion content 'mingki way', mingki way like 'milky way' haha get it, sigh this is all for a big pun, spaceboy mingi, things get a little heated but not really, yungi, yunho is whipped, yunho waxing poetics about mingi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 16:26:59</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,709</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24043732</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/illwoosion/pseuds/illwoosion</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>stardust comes in many forms, but yunho likes it best curled up at his side, clinging hard to his torso, face pressed against his chest, snoring softly, smelling of sugar and honey. or, even better, kissing his lips hard and sitting in his lap as the hours float by. either way, yunho doesn't mind.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Jeong Yunho/Song Mingi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>68</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>the mingki way</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>yunho particularly enjoys the idea that all humans are derived from stardust. because he knows it's true. there's evidence standing (well, dancing) right in front of him.</p><p>currently, stardust dances in the middle of their living room carpet, tugging at yunho's arms, begging him to join. stardust grins his milky-way teeth and crescent-shaped crinkly eyes that sparkle from the lit candles that light their dance floor.</p><p>("candles are dangerous when half our furniture is <em>wood</em>," yunho would scold, all bark with no bite.</p><p>"candles are <em>romantic</em>, yun," mingi would counter, striking a match and dangling the flame, like bait, to a wick.</p><p>"you just want to make the house smell like desserts so i'll buy more ice cream in the future." because of course, mingi only buys the sickly sweet scented candles that only adds fuel to the fire for their combined sugar addiction.</p><p>and then yunho gets attacked with unruly lips used as a tactic to shut him up and an impromptu make-out session that'll go on for years, if mingi has it his way.)</p><p>stardust forces yunho to lead a messy waltz as he places wandering hands on his shoulders expectantly. he watches owlishly as yunho intertwines their hands together and places his other <em>oh-so-delicately</em> upon mingi's waist. stardust scatters glitter around the room as the taller twirls him around, and universes erupt from his mouth as he giggles a delightful laugh that could be heard from outer space.</p><p>"don't make me laugh, i can't see if i laugh. my eyes are too small," stardust whines, flopping his head into the crook of yunho's neck, even if he is about the same height. yunho chuckles and kisses the mop of red explosion tucked under his chin. his boyfriend's hair is as fiery as the sun, and as untameable as a black hole. it's a tangle of knots, and maybe, if yunho checks it properly (or if mingi stays still for once in his life), it may contain the secrets of the universe.</p><p>stardust leans over to steal another kiss from yunho's lips. he tastes like spices and salt, and his mouth is hot from the burning liqueur left forgotten on their kitchen counter. he tastes like unknown galaxies and the ineffable. kissing mingi is like floating in space without a helmet- <em>lethal</em>.</p><p>soon enough, their waltz transforms into an all-too familiar make-out session, but who's yunho to object? stardust is addictive, especially when it's sitting in his lap in the form of sucked lips and curious tongues. their foreheads are pressed together and mingi stares down at yunho with his rosy lips parted. maybe yunho sees actual stars and moons swimming in his lover's irises- maybe yunho's drank too much cheap french liquor.</p><p>stardust pulls away from yunho, leaving but a string of saliva connecting their open mouths. it glimmers, even in the dim, orange light.</p><p>"<em>dessert?</em>" stardust asks childishly through heavy breaths, as if his hands hadn't been getting friendly underneath yunho's shirt not even five seconds ago (not that he's complaining, god no).</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>☆</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>becoming a regular at their local dessert parlour hadn't been on yunho's bucket list when they'd first moved to the city together, but he supposes nobody plans going on 3am dates with their sweet-toothed boyfriend, who has a particular affinity to sugar and always stealing half of whatever yunho orders.</p><p>at this point, the waitress (who never looks up at them when the door signals arriving customers, because nobody else except them visits in the witching hours) even puts an extra scoop of their chosen ice cream flavour on the side of their dish fit for two, because they always share the dessert. it's rule number one.</p><p>rule number two, is that mingi picks the poison, and yunho picks the ice cream flavour.</p><p>stardust is craving chocolate today. <em>specifically</em>, brownies.</p><p>it's ironic how the item mingi points his finger at is called '<em>nutella</em> <em>nebula</em>' (yunho is ready to spout his starboy rhetorics like he's done many a time), and yunho laughs heartily at the excited explosion opposite him that grins his gummy smile after the waitress takes their menus. they've been to this establishment many, many times and more, yet stardust wiggles in his seat and plays with his spoon, and glances every so often at the ordering counter to see whether their sugary delight is ready.</p><p>with the brownies, yunho chooses honeycomb flavoured icecream; the honey melts like himself, who can barely handle how softly mingi places his hand over his and blinks innocently at yunho's scarlet ears. the ice cream contains honeycomb chunks that are as golden as the stars mingi scatters from his breath as he blows dramatic kisses in his direction.</p><p>(of course, yunho returns them, complete with pouted lips and finger hearts. because mingi's stars are precious and he'll be damned before he watches mingi's galaxy supply empty out in front of him.</p><p>also, yunho relishes in the way his eyes go all scrunchy as he lets out a little shy whine, swatting away yunho's kisses and finger hearts. <em>he's a sight to behold</em>.)</p><p>the chocolate supernova arrives with two scoops of ice cream (mingi once tried to point out the extra scoop to the waitress, thinking it was accidental. the waitress chuckled and walked away, choosing to watch them behind the counter instead) and an extra helping of maraschino cherries. yunho's a sucker for them, and mingi presses one to his lips without warning.</p><p>everything tastes better fed by mingi.</p><p>(<em>unspoken rule number three</em>.)</p><p>stardust giggles as he brushes a napkin to the defiant chocolate sauce planted into yunho's check. stardust, even whilst licking his lips hard, still misses his own chocolate-y attack that sticks adamantly to the corner of his pouty lips.</p><p>(stardust gets shy when his boyfriend reaches over the table to lick it away himself, disguised as a sugary kiss too sticky to turn into anything more than a peck.)</p><p>stardust pokes his pink tongue out when he grapples for a particularly large chunk of chocolate wedged inside a brownie. yunho helps him, using his own spoon to hold down the uncooperative fiend so his boyfriend can eat his damned chocolate. but his boyfriend mistakes this as yunho competing for the chocolate chunk, and war ensues.</p><p>it starts with melted ice cream splattered onto the window (paired with the black 3am sky, the dairy makes it look like an iridescent starry night), and ends with the precious chocolate teasing the edge of yunho's spoon, gloating at mingi's furrowed brows.</p><p>stardust huffs and crosses his arms.</p><p>stardust, <em>the little bastard</em>, opens his mouth wide expectantly and wiggles his eyebrows.</p><p>stardust knows yunho's whipped for him. and yunho's never been one to say no, especially not to mingi. and it's definitely worth the blissful expression carved out by a pair of squinty eyes and a gummy constellation grin when yunho tips the chocolate into his mouth.</p><p>after they finish dessert, they sit at the table for a while, satisfied and content. the parlour lights, blinding and pearly-white, shape crescents and planets and meteors and everything shiny into mingi's eyes, and they gleam and blink back at yunho mischievously. even his damned teeth twinkle too brightly to be normal, with his one crooked tooth catching the lights prettily.</p><p>stardust is gorgeous and lavish and beautiful, even under artificial light and after a sugar crash.</p><p>"you're cute," yunho says, watching closely as mingi blushes and holds his features to fashion them into a nonchalant expression.</p><p>"i know," he replies, chin jutted forward, lips pouting (like they always do) and confidence oozing into the atmosphere. it's mesmerising to watch.</p><p>"<em>you're not so bad yourself</em>."</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>☆</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>the walk back to their apartment consists of sticky lips, chocolate-stained clothes and entwined pinkies that stardust swings through the breeze with each step. the small, stuttering lights on stardust's shoes (because, of course, yunho's boyfriend wears sneakers<em> with lights</em> <em>on the heels</em>, as he is an adult who earns his own money) prevail through the inky midnight-washed sky. there's a metaphor hidden somewhere in this; something about how the lights on mingi's shoes light up his path proving he himself is a star illuminating the sky, but yunho's far too dissociated to make the link.</p><p>unspoken words trail behind them as they make it to their apartment block, the slab of concrete they call home, and they step into the lift that'll take them to the eighth floor.</p><p>stepping into their home feels warmer somehow, cosier, like a place existing outside of time. 4am may as well be 4pm- time is merciful towards the couple and grants them the ignorance of the concept of time (as if they hadn't just eaten dessert at 3am).</p><p>they slip into pajamas (well, stardust sleeps stark naked, preferably, but yunho throws pajama bottoms at his face for the modesty, since he's too tired to do anything more than sleep), and lay side by side on their bed. under the covers, mingi turns onto his stomach (laying half on the bed, half on yunho's own body) and drapes an arm over his boyfriend.</p><p>stardust has a little birthmark on the small of his back. it's big enough for yunho to trace delicate fingers around the edges. as he circles it, mingi closes his eyes and hums in pleasure. actually, purring is more fitting, as the low pitch reverberates around the room and vibrates through yunho's eardrums.</p><p>perhaps, mingi is a planet instead; the little birthmark blemish reminds yunho of the patterns that adorn jupiter's surface. either way, there's no doubt the half-asleep boy beside him is beyond everything on earth; he belongs to the stars. he is a creation humans cannot begin to understand. he is a part of something much bigger than the apartment they live in, bigger than the city they call home. something yunho can't imagine pinning down. a<em>n enigma of sorts.</em></p><p>stardust comes in many forms, but yunho likes it best curled at his side, clinging hard to his torso, face pressed against his chest, snoring softly, smelling of sugar and honey. this is something yunho understands. this is yunho's world, his universe, <em>his milky way</em>. all of it is song mingi.</p><p>stardust forgot to brush his teeth before getting into bed. typical.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>
    <em>—</em>
  </b>
</p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>thank you for reading this!! i hope you enjoyed the sickening fluff.</p><p>this is written very much like my seongjoong oneshot 'angel rhetorics &amp; marlboro cigarettes' oops, but i just want this kind of love ok</p><p>please leave a comment below for feedback!! also feel free to leave suggestions on what else you'd like me to write!! i hope wherever you are, your day is going well!! take care and stay safe!! ily &lt;3</p><p>(i might make a second part but with mingi talking about yunho!! depends how well this one does i guess :P)</p><p>twitter: @jonghocafe<br/>wattpad: @1117MIN</p></blockquote></div></div>
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